As of this month, Arizona homeowners are flexing newfound freedoms in residential construction, with a state law now greenlighting Accessory Dwelling Units—ADUs, or "casitas"—on their lots, as long as said properties are nestled within cities boasting populations north of 75,000. Conversely, Phoenix leaders express less than jubilant reactions to the legislation that they argue subverts local housing goals in favor of short-term rental enterprises.
With the law's advent on Jan. 1, families like Diane Bain's envision a new proximity in living arrangements, finding solace in the idea of kin rather than strangers across their backyard fences. "As I get older, I'm 83, it would be very good to have them close and they would feel better knowing I'm safe and all that," Bain told FOX 10 Phoenix.
Jeff Felt of Arizona Casita Builders elaborates on the significant easing of previous building restrictions, saying "They made it to where the setbacks are a lot closer. So we could get 3-to-5 feet of a wall, so it makes a big difference," in a statement obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix, and though such flexibility piques the interest of homeowners and prospective casita dwellers, Phoenix leaders find their hands forced by the state to accommodate not only a greater number of ADUs but to also begrudgingly embrace their use as short-term rentals—a pivot from the city's original vision solely focused on long-term housing solutions.
Mayor Kate Gallego's frustration is palpable, "So the city's policy focused on housing. The state allowed party houses," she pointed out the discrepancy in the law that allows exemptions for cities with populations under 75,000, her thoughts captured during a Phoenix City Council meeting, as stated by KJZZ. Accommodations for concerns are made with provisions that permit cities to demand owner occupancy if a casita becomes a short-term rental venue thereby addressing some worries about out-of-state investors disrupting residential harmony, according to Kirin Goff of the Arizona Neighborhood Project.
